American schools always taught
that the U.S. Navy carried the day in early wars against Barbary pirates and
the British, but in truth, Jonathan Dull tells us, the record is mixed. Despite
redundant and occasionally unclear writing, Dull offers a thumbnail sketch of
the navy from inception through the Civil War. The subtext critiques national
attributes seen by the author as holdovers from colonial times. Isolationism,
American exceptionalism, obsession with private gun ownership, hatred of taxes
and distrust of central government hindered the U.S. Navy in its first century.
And some habits never end. Already in 1775, the Second Continental Congress
established one “of the most enduring traditions in American defense spending,
selecting the most expensive weapon systems possible, and spreading contracts
among the various states in order to win political support.” (David Luhrssen)

Poll

A Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission panel upheld the firing of former Milwaukee Police officer Christopher Manney for violating department rules last April when he encountered Dontre Hamilton before fatally shooting him. Do you agree with the commission’s decision?